Vianden, Luxemburg

With the rain gone and the nice weather back in town, we filled our long-held desire to return to Vianden, Luxembourg. Known for an impressive castle and equally charming village, Vianden is a great destination for any warm and sunny day.

The view from the Our river looking up to the Vianden Castle

The Vianden castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on the foundations of the Roman's Castellum. It's history is rich with feudal residences through the Romanesque and Gothic periods in Europe. Originally the home to many influential counts of Vianden with close ties to the Royal Family of France and the German imperial court, the castle grew steadily even after it was passed by inheritance in the early 1400's to the House of Nassau. In 1820, under the reign of King William I, the castle was sold piece by piece and fell into a state of ruin. I have to admit this part of history amazed me. How does one sell a castle made of large, heavy boulders "piece by piece" in the early 1800's. The primitive roads and equipment to transport the massive pieces. Just think how far they had to travel to be delivered to their buyers. Amazing. Sorry.....where were we....oh yes, in 1977 the ownership was transferred to the state and the restoration process began.

Looking down to the village from Vianden castle

One of the many period pieces hanging inside The Festivity Hall

Banqueting Hall

The main bedroom

Looking down to the Our river

The Grand Kitchen

The village of Vianden offers an eclectic mix of restaurants, which is great because we worked up quite a hunger walking around. Following the recommendations from those who have visited before, we set out to find the Italian restaurant that apparently serves a mean pizza. Not only did the food taste great (at a great price) but bathing in the warm sun on the massive deck made for a fantastic experience.

With full stomachs, we took advantage of the path that parallels the Our river and walked away a few of the many calories consumed. The view was amazing:

We decided to forgo taking up the chair lift that delivers you high upon the hill overlooking the village. Apparently there are great hiking trails easily accessible from the top and I can only imagine the spectacular vantage points. Next time.......